Device for handling a plurality of train-orders and messages.



1,1 84,4548. Patented May 28,1916.

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F. M. HARDESTY. DEVICEFOR HANDLING A PLURALI'TY 0F TRAIN ORDERS AND MESSAGES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1916.

Patented May 23, 1916.

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EIEI I? El 1 mla Hncooeo iii) ' Sid -.in position to UNHE s ra i as ra rnn r FRANK .lliI. HARDESTY, 01E CAMBRIDGE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES F LOWRY, OF CAMBRIDGE, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING A PLURALITY OF TRAIN-ORDER$ AND MESSAGES.

inserts.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented May 23,1916.

Application filed January 7, 1916. Serial No. 70,804.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatl, FRANK M. Hannrs'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Guernsey and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Handling a Plurality of Train-Orders and "by members of the crew of a passing train.

A further object thereof is to produce a bracket of said character, in which one copy may be held adjacent to a railroad track, the detachment of which actuates the mechanism in my device'to immediately position the other copy for detachment by another member of the crew, and a still further object of my invention is to produce a more simple, cheap and efficient delivery device of the character described than has heretofore been attained.

To these ends, my invention includes the combination and arrangement of component parts to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing one of the pairs of arms in operative position; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the second pair in operative position; Fig. 4 is a ground plan view, showing my device in the position shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the position assumed in Fig. 3.

My invention includes, generally, a vertical mast rigidly carried in a suitable tonne dation, a'gear for imparting a quarter turn to said mast, a weight for actuating said gear, a pair of laterally projecting, pivoted arms and an endless cord for holding same in extended position, a pair of similar arms carried'on the mast at an angle of 90 to the first-mentioned arms, each of which pairs of arms are adapted to hold a message be conveniently detached by the crew f a passi g train, and means connected with the first-mentioned pair or" arms for releasing the weight-actuated gear for rotating said mast.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a mast adapted to be vertically mounteo in a platd adjacent to the side of a railroad tr, clr, and said mast is held in vertical position lay-the housing 3, through the top of which it proects. Said housing is suitably secured upon the platform or foundation 4:.

Adjacent to the lower end of the mast l and within the housing 3 is rigidly secured the bevel gear 5, adapted to mesh with the bevel gear 6 secured onone end of the shaft 7, which is j ournaled in the hearing 8 in the wall of the housing 3 farthest removed from the railroad track. (in the opposite end of the shaft 7 is secured the arm 9, upon the outer end of which is carried the weight 1%, and said arm and weight are adapted to be held in raised position when the parallel arms 11 and 1-1 are held in position at right angles to the railroad traclr and to be released from such elevation by the collapse of said arms upon the removal of the message carried thereon, whereby the gear 5 is turned the fourth of a circle to position the other pair of arms12 and 12 at right angles with the track, as hereinafter described.

The arms 11 and 11' are pivotally mounted on the mast 1 at a and 25 respectively and the arm 11 is provided with an extension 11 extending rearwardly, upon the end of which is attached a chain 13 at its upper "end, while its lower end is attached to the arm 9 intermediate of its ends. The arm 11 projects slightly rearwardly at 11 to engage the lug or pin 14 on its lower face. Said arms 11 and 11' are held in horizontal parallel position by theendless cord 25:, which passes over the outer ends of each of the arms at c and d and is engaged by the clips 15 and 16 carried on the mast 1 adjacent to the pivots a: and b of said arms, and an en velop is attached to said cord in convenient position for detachment by the crew oil a passing train. The outer ends of the arms 11 and 11 are notched vertically to retain the cord in position.

en the arms 11 and 11 are in the extended osition shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the weight earing arm 9 is held in raised. position by the extension 11 of the arm 11, and when the envelop 15 is detached and together with the cord 24 which normally holds the arms 11 and 11' in horizontal position the outer end of the arm 11 is raised by the weight of the arm 9 and its weight 10 to permit the arm 9 to fall and thus impart a quarter turn to the gear 6, thereby turning the gear 5 and mast 1 to bring the arms 12 and 12 into the position formerly occupied by the arms 11 and 11'. The arms 12 and 12 m held in horizontal position by the cord- 9* which passes over the outer end of each of the arms and is engaged by the clips 17 and 18 carried on the mast 1, and the envelop 19 is carried on the cord 23 in convenient reach of another member of the crew of a passing train. Said arms 12 and 12' are pivoted adjacent to their inner ends on the mast 1 and are coupled together by the bent rod or pitman 20, which is pivoted at its lower end on the inward extension 21 of the arm 12 and at its upper end to the outwardly extending portion of the arm 12, whereby when the cord 23-is removed and the arm 12' allowed to drop, its weight will force the arm 12'upwardly and thus remove the danger to projecting arm.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, it

will be appreciated that my device provides for the delivery of two co ies of train messages to a passing train, t e removal of the first of which immediately positions the sec-.

ond for removal by another member of the crew, and it will be further apparent that the automatic action of my device retur-ns' each one of the laterally projecting arms to passing trains of a laterally 1,is4,44a.

a vertical position when the messages have been detached.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured'by Letters Patent, is

A device of the character described, comprising a vertical rotatable mast and means for rotating said mast, a pair of horizontally pivoted arms carried on said mast, one of which is provided witha rearwardly extending projection, a pair of clips carried on the mast adjacent to the pivotal points of the arms, an endless order-holding cord adapted to engage the ends of saidarms and said clips to hold the arms in horizontal po-' sition, a flexible connection between the rearwardly extending projection on one of the arms and'the means for rotating the mast, bywhich said means are actuated upon the detachment of said cord, a second pair of of the lower of said arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. HARDESTYZ Witnesses H. B. MATTIEUS, G. L. GIBSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh, by addressing the "Commiuioner of Patel",

' Washington, D. 0." 

